Thanksgiving 2011

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Last Monday, we left for Columbia to spend a few days with my parents. It was so nice to be able to relax and hang out with my family.

On Wednesday night we went to Laurens to have dinner at my uncle's house.

On Thursday morning we headed down to Wadmalaw Island to spend the rest of the week with Ryan's family. The house we stayed in was on the marsh, and it was absolutely beautiful. The weather was in the 70s and 80s the whole time we were there. On Thursday morning we had brunch and spent the rest of the day outside. That night we had traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

On Friday, we braved the crowds, and did a little shopping in downtown Charleston. Taking an eight week old shopping on Black Friday is not easy! I think I'll have to get a babysitter next year. On Saturday we drove to Kiawah and had lunch on the Ocean Course, and that night we had an oyster roast and watched the game.

We got back to Greenville around 6:30 last night. By the time we unpacked all of our bags and got settled in, it was past 12 before we went to bed. We are pretty tired, but glad to be back home. I have a lot of catching up to do this week!

Eliza is happy to be home!

Thankful

I can't believe its already the week of Thanksgiving! Time is flying by so fast. Eliza's first Thanksgiving is going to be a busy one! Tomorrow we are leaving for Columbia around lunchtime. On Tuesday, we are going to my Dad's office Thanksgiving party, and on Wednesday night we are heading to Laurens for dinner with my Dad's side of the family. After dinner in Laurens, we are going back to Columbia to spend the night, and on Thanksgiving morning, we will head down to Charleston to be with Ryan's family. We are planning to stay in Charleston until Sunday afternoon, and then we will head back to Greenville. We are going to need the entire next week to recover! I am really excited about eating good food and spending time with our families!

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Lately, I have spent a lot of time thinking and talking about things I don't have, rather than reflecting on everything I have to be grateful for. I have been so blessed over the past year, and I am thankful for so many things.

•  my faith
• happy, healthy baby girl 
• wonderful husband 
• awesome family 
• great friends 
• my doggies
• roof over my head
• my health 
• my freedom
• coffee with pumpkin spice creamer
• pumpkin spice muffins
• Target 
• Pandora radio
• my Ipod to listen to while I run 
•   my camera 
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• good books 
• a comfy bed 
• scented candles
• my Uggs  
• seeing Eliza smile 

 .....and the list could go on forever, but I don't want to bore you to death! I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving!

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Go Tigers!

Before the Wake Forest game last weekend I got Eliza all dressed up to cheer on the Tigers. She looked so good  that I decided to have a little photo shoot. Go Tigers!

 

 

 She was so worn out from the photo shoot that she slept through the whole game. I might have slept through some of the game too. :)

Dinner and Dessert Recipes

We have been so lucky to have so many friends bringing us meals over the past few weeks that I haven't had to cook in over a month! We actually still have a few meals in our freezer that I'm saving for when I go back to work. I'm just starting to cook again, and I made this chicken taco chili the other night. Using the crock pot is the easiest way for me to make meals right now because I can prepare the food in the morning when Eliza is napping, and I don't have to worry about it in the evening when she is fussy and needs my attention. I got the recipe from a blog called Skinnytaste. It was easy to make, healthy, and delicious! :)

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz can black beans
• 1 16-oz can kidney beans
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
  
• 24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• chili peppers, chopped (optional)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream.

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I was having so much fun cooking that I decided to make a sticky bun breakfast ring for dessert. This was also easy and delicious, but not so healthy. The sticky buns are not helping me win the contest that Ryan and I are having to see who can loose ten pounds first. He is currently in the lead with seven pounds down, and I'm following behind him in a close second with five pounds down. Why is it so much easier for men to loose weight? Argh! It is so frustrating!  I guess I'll have to cut out the sticky buns.


Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring 

Ingredients:

• 2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits
• 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 C. syrup
• 1/3 C. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 C. chopped pecans, opt.
• 1/4 C. chopped almonds, opt.

Directions:

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if desired). Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top. Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges (closely together) to form a ring. Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter and enjoy! (recipe found here )

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Birth Announcements

Now that Eliza is seven weeks old, I've finally gotten around to getting out her birth announcements. I love the way they turned out, and this picture is one of my favorites. The announcements were done by Shabby Addict and the pictures were taken by Lindsey Motley Photography. Both Lindsey and Tracy at Shabby Addict were wonderful to work with, and I would highly recommend them both!

So Excited...

for the premiere of Breaking Dawn. Yes, I admit it. I read all four of the Twilight books, and loved every one of them. I know they are so cheesy and ridiculous, but they are like a car wreck, you just can't look away. I just saw the trailer on TV, and got really excited. I'll probably be in line with all of the tweens for the midnight showing!

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Recent Happenings

Now that this week is almost over, I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from the past weekend. On Saturday night we went out for the first time since Eliza was born. We went to a surprise 30th birthday party for our friend, Robert. His wife, Taylor, did a great job planning the party, decorating the place, and surprising him. Robert thought he was going to a birthday party for another friend. He had no idea that we were all waiting to celebrate him. Taylor even had a fake invitation made, and sent to their house! I could only stand to be away from Eliza for a few hours, so we didn't stay out too late, but we had a great time while we were there. It was so good to see all of our friends and catch up with what's been going on in their lives.

I look a little tired here. Oh yeah, that's because I haven't slept a full night in 6 weeks. :)

I see you Will!

Robert looking like a stud on his very own name tag

The surprise!

She pulled it off! Success! 

Hanging with Marge on the roof

On Sunday we did a lot of relaxing and hanging around the house. On Sunday night, Ryan's mom babysat for us, so we could have another date night. We out to dinner and to see Puss and Boots. (Ryan loves Pixar movies.)  The movie was really cute, and it was nice to have some alone time with Ryan. Here are a few more pictures from our weekend.

Belle working on her portfolio

How Sweet Is This?

Sawyer and Belle haven't gotten much love on the blog lately. They've taken a little bit of a back seat to Eliza. Poor things! At least they've got each other.

Back in Action

I've been back at running for about a week and half now, and it feels so good! People have asked me if it's hard getting back, but it is actually easier because I'm not carrying around twenty-five extra pounds. Ryan and I made a bet last week to see who could lose ten pounds the fastest. The winner can get whatever they want as long as its under 100 dollars. I think I'm going to get a massage if i win. I have about ten more pounds to loose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Right now I'm a little more motivated than Ryan is, but I think its going to be easier for him to loose the weight than me. Maybe I should post this picture on my refrigerator, so I won't be tempted by all of the good food our friends have been bringing us. Wish me luck! I'll let you know who wins! :)

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This picture is a more accurate description of me running.